Updated

03/18/2015 - 10:30am

For all its brutality, ISIS is often praised for its social media savvy and a passion among its members akin to that of a very famous Silicon Valley startup, says one Muslim social media entrepreneur. The way to defeat the group’s extremism is by fighting intellectual fire with fire, he says.

Updated

03/04/2015 - 10:45pm

Americans aren't the only ones who love the Netflix series 'House of Cards.' Data show that China is downloading the show more than any other country — but do viewers know it's just a show and not actually how the US government operates?

The "Anti-Maidan" rally in Moscow marked one year since a pro-Western uprising in Kiev's Maidan Square toppled Ukraine's president. But the attendees have a far different view of everything that's happened since then, and they're not afraid to say it.

Jason Hamacher is a punk rock drummer from Washington, DC, but he's interesting in exploring new sounds of all kinds. That's how he ended up recording Sufi singers in Aleppo, Syria, and preserving their songs before civil war destroyed the country.

With the passing of Saudi Arabia’s absolute monarch Friday morning, the new ruler – King Salman bin Abdul-Azisz al-Saud – moved quickly to assure his subjects and the outside world that things would remain the same.

He's a symbol of a political victory for President Barack Obama: Former Cuban prisoner Alan Gross will be a guest of honor at the State of the Union address Tuesday. Gross was released after the US and Cuba negotiated a deal to normalize relations.

As the Russian military moves into Crimea, there seem to be few good options for the US and NATO. Retired Brigadier General Kevin Ryan sees economic sanctions as one of the few tools, but that requires time and a focus on the long-term strategy.

People across the globe are watching to see if there's ultimately a resolution to this US government shutdown. And what they're saying — and hearing — isn't great. Many folks around the globe say the shutdown looks crazy. It looks silly. It looks like lawmakers are arguing about something that doesn't entirely matter.

The Washington Redskins face growing demands to change their team's nickname, which many Native Americans say is offensive. The public debate is also putting pressure on other teams, like the Edmonton Eskimos, that also use native imagery.

Updated

03/18/2015 - 10:30am

For all its brutality, ISIS is often praised for its social media savvy and a passion among its members akin to that of a very famous Silicon Valley startup, says one Muslim social media entrepreneur. The way to defeat the group’s extremism is by fighting intellectual fire with fire, he says.

Texas is the biggest climate polluter in the U.S. It’s also is also extremely vulnerable to some of the impacts of climate change. But the state’s most prominent politicians say they don't believe that climate change is real. It all adds up to a big problem for Texas and the rest of us.

Switzerland is often held up by gun rights advocates as a model of what the United States could be with the right gun laws. But many in Switzerland say, not so fast. They point to already tightened restrictions and a, crucially, a healthcare safety net that lets fewer people go witout treatment.